I have been working on catching up with my BOM.  I think that I am working on 4 different BOM.  That doesn't even begin to count the unfinished BOM that I have begun over the years.  Where or where does the time go?
The rain has been good for my flowers.  I love this time of year and get excited over every plant that blooms.  I used some roundup in one of my beds yesterday to try to kill some bind weed.  Hopefully I didn't kill the flowers.
Here are a few flowers from around my yard.  Love the red Echinacea.

I have waited too long to make this post.  On April 21, 2015 we lost our beloved Billy Ross Shepard.  He was born on March 4, 2015.  God graciously allowed us to have him for 7 weeks.  We will miss him forever and we will see him again when we reach our heavenly home.  My grief will never end and in this world I will never understand why God took him from us.  When I reach heaven the why won't matter and so I live and trust in the Love of God today.

Phillip reading one last book to Billy.



Taken after Billy's death.  The beginning of saying goodbye's.

Haven't sewn much this week.  I started working on an old Thimbleberry block of the month.  I must have bought the patterns in 2000.  I have the background material and the material for rows (not sashing) that will go between the rows of blocks.  Are you confused yet.  Anyway, the pattern is birdhouses and I have been buying a few pieces of material the last 2 months in Baldwin City to work on the monthly blocks.  The first block will be 20 inches square when I get it finished.  I'm hoping that I won't be disappointed when I'm finished with the blocks.  The background material is from a year that the quality of the material was lacking.  No weightiness to the background material, feels thin.
We went to Bill & Joyce's today and fed the fish across the road at the pond.  Leland was thrilled when he saw the first fish come up to feed.  Wonderful time to stand on the bank and throw fish food out in the pond.  Wish I had remembered to take pictures.
Tuesday nights are our $1 taco night out with Bill and Joyce.  Had a good visit.  We always do.

Yesterday Leland and I took Grammy shopping at Jerry's.  He wanted to ride the horse but I'm never sure if he enjoys the ride.  He rode the horse before we went into the store and didn't want to ride again when we came out.  Today Leland took 2 tomatoes off of the counter and ate them.  After he ate the first 1 I thought that I had moved them out of his reach.  But I was wrong.  When his parents picked him up this afternoon he went running to greet them.  Ran past his Mom to his Dad, poor Mom.
Tom is busy hatching eggs.  Need to take pictures to show why we are Shepard Flock Farm.

Well, here it is weeks since the last time I posted to the blog.
I'd hoped to make this into a diary.  But that hasn't happened, yet.
Today Tom & I went to see Billy.  The only other time that we saw him was when he was 1 day old and now he is 5 weeks old.  He was born March 4, 2015 fifteen weeks early.

The 2nd picture is about 1 week old and this is Billy's Momma holding him. 
Today he weighed 1lb 13oz and he is now 13 and 1/2 inches long.  His Momma calls him Mighty Billy.  I just pray grow Billy grow.  Billy is doing really good and we are all pleased with the progress that he is making.

And this is big brother have dinner with Nana & Papa a couple of weeks ago.
I have been doing some sewing and have a couple of tops done that I need to take photos of and post. 

 

 These are the January and February blocks of a block of the month called Taos.  The pattern called for 4 each of these blocks.  These were easy to make, next month I begin the difficult blocks.  The quilt will require "Y" seams.  I have only sewn "Y" seams in a couple of blocks.  Never in a whole quilt.  I am reaching out of my comfort zone with the colors and the skills required to sew this quilt.  I am purchasing this block of the month from a local shop in Baldwin City.
I told myself that I was going to learn how to blog this year.  Well, the last time I posted a blog was in January.  So much for working on this skill.

This little man takes up my quilting time on Saturdays and Sundays.  I wouldn't trade my time with him for anything in the world.  He will have a new brother by the end of June.  His life and ours will change with the new addition.  So excited.  Need to get started on a baby quilt for the new baby.  What shall I make?  That is the big question.

This is a new year and I hopefully am ready to post my thoughts on this blog.
My Kansas quilt is still being quilted and I am anxious to get it back.  Can't wait to get the binding on it and put it on my bed.
I have a quilt that I made for a grand niece that also need the binding put on it.  I have quality TV time to look forward to as I bind the 2 quilts.
Before Christmas I started a quilt for granddaughter that will be 18 this year.  She also graduates from high school this year.  Need to get busy and get that quilt done. 
My "problem" is that I start quilts and don't finish them.  I have so many quilts that are near completion.  This should be the year to finish projects.
"Sit & Sew" should resume on the 3rd Saturday of this month.  I don't have permission from the church session, yet.  I don't anticipate any problems getting their approval.  Gladys ask me last Sunday when we were going to start again.  So many things to look forward to doing.
Mom & I will go to Baldwin City on Saturday unless the weather is bad.  We will start this years block of the month.  I am also starting another quilt that will be a block of the month.  Bright colors.  I think that I am sewing quilts out of my comfort colors.
Tom and I are planning on going to Lawrence and Emporia today.  I know we live between those to cities.  But it should be a good afternoon to go for a ride.  It is cold outside and the drive would get us away from the house.

This is my Kansas Quilt, that I am going to call - Under my Kansas Sky.  I cut off the corners of the quilt top but I think that you can get an idea of what it looks like.  I decided to make this quilt when I began attending the Burlingame Quilt Guild in July.  Delores Reick had been searching for Kansas related blocks on the internet and had handed out 2 patterns each month starting in January of this year.  I quickly caught up on making the blocks, found the medallion center in a book by Squibb & Jacobs (the pattern is called Stars over the Prairie).  I also used 4 block patterns from a block of the month designed by Mary Lees. I used mostly Kansas Trouble fabric in the quilt. but if you look closely you will see fabrics from Thimbleberry, Jo Morton & Kim Diehl.  The size of the quilt keep growing, the top is 106".  This size will fit nicely on my bed with plenty of over hang.
Now that the top is finished maybe I'll be able to spend some time cooking or cleaning house but I don't think so.
I have another quilt top made that is made up of rejected blocks from this Kansas quilt.

Originally this was going to be my back for the Under the Kansas Sky quilt.  I will need to make a few changes on this quilt to finish it.
I need to get back to sewing.  Have a Blessed Day.